


You, the Only Gift I Need

by CinnamonDjinn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Shiro (Voltron), Christmas Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galtean AU, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, Holidays, Light Angst, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Sheith Secret Santa 2019, Shiro's plan backfires a little, or does it?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:14:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22555417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonDjinn/pseuds/CinnamonDjinn
Summary: The team is stuck waiting for the completion of the massive teleduv Voltron will trap Zarkon with, and boredom is often a strong motivator for mischief. One quiet day Hunk and Lance show up in the common room with a box of odds and ends and a great idea for making the most of the down time - a way for them to spend time together as a team, to get to know each other better while also taking a moment to celebrate and appreciate what they had. A way to get a little taste of home that each of them were longing for.And then Shiro, seeing Keith off to the side by his quiet self, decides he could take it one step further.“I noticed you're the only one of us who isn't getting to celebrate one of their holidays," Shiro began. "You don't have to tell me, but I was wondering, why is that?”The Red Paladin said nothing at first; Shiro only turned around when he heard the rustling behind him cease. The galran soldier had stopped fiddling through the box, his hands clutching the edge in his silence.“Keith?”“... No real reason,” came the murmured response. “Just didn't think anyone would want to celebrate a galran holiday.”
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 67





	You, the Only Gift I Need

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SleepySsnail](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepySsnail/gifts).



> This is my pinch-hitting-for-a-pinch-hitter submission for the Sheith Secret Santa 2019 exchange to the wonderfully-patient Andes! I hope this makes up for the time you had to spend waiting for your gift. ^_^ A very belated Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you!
> 
> Come help me support other content creators on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Omnidolor), or to chat about fandom or writing!

War is a terrible, terrible thing – no one (except perhaps the most indoctrinated of the Galran Empire) would dispute that. But war also had a way of bringing the most unlikely of individuals together. What would start out as a tenuous alliance born out of a single-minded goal - and out of desperation no less - could gradually solidify into a deep bond of friendship, sometimes without those involved even realizing it.

For the five Paladins of Voltron, their commanding princess and her father's (and now her own) royal adviser, they shared something else in common besides battling to bring peace to the universe: loneliness. Friends and family they held dear had been left behind or lost entirely and they each had to carry on despite it. Both Allura and Coran arguably had it worst, the two alteans having lost their entire planet and believing themselves to be the last of their kind, at least until they had learned of the altean colonies hidden throughout the universe. Allura hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye to her father; Coran had, but with the cold knowledge that his view of his king and closest friend from behind the frosting glass of a healing pod would be the last he would ever see of the man.

Everyone knew of Pidge's situation; the Green Paladin had arguably been the reason the seven of them had ended up together on Arus. She had been on a Garrison rooftop that night, desperate to find any radio wave that could give a clue as to whether her father, brother, and their missing pilot, Adam Warner, were still alive after going MIA on the Kerberos mission. Even now she still had no lead. As if that wasn't enough, she and the two other humans – Lance and Hunk – had left family back on Earth without any sort of word regarding their unplanned departure. Thanks to Earth's primitive technology (Pidge's words, of course), there was no way to send a message home to tell their loved ones they were alive and well. After all, it hadn't been their plan that night to abscond with a giant, blue war machine with the first (or so they had thought) alien to ever reach the blue and green planet.

Said alien, Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane, was an altean who had managed to escape from the Galran Empire. The destined Black Paladin had come from a minuscule, nameless planet tucked away in a corner of the Personus System. It had been home to a small colony of alteans who had descended from the very ones that had managed to flee from Altea before its destruction. Over passing millennia, the war-hardened people had slowly softened generation after generation, taking comfort in the peace they had discovered to heal as a community. They never forgot what had happened to their ancestors and thus they had trained hard as a strict and organized militia, but it still hadn't been enough for when the Empire had stumbled upon them.

Shiro had been second-in-command, having risen quickly through the ranks due to his aptitude for hand-to-hand combat and his prowess as a pilot. He had joined in hopes of one day leaving the planet to discover what lay beyond the edge of their solar system, an act that had been banned since the formation of the colony for fear of being found out. In the end, it had mattered little when the Empire uncovered them anyway, quickly laying waste to the entire planet. Despite his and the rest of the militia's valiant defense, the young altean was forced to watch in horror as his family, his friends, the world he had known his entire life, were eradicated in mere dobashes, dark magic draining the land and its inhabitants of quintessence. As the battle ships pulled away, nothing living remained of the colony, save for him.

He had only been spared because the witch Haggar had found... _something_... of interest in him.

That interest had cost him an arm, a place in the Empire's coliseum, and a deca-phoeb of his life.

Shiro had only escaped thanks to a galran soldier who turned traitor - at least for a few vargas - to open his cell, get him to a star craft, and cover his escape. When the altean had begged for his name, the helmeted man (who, given his stature, must have been young even for a galran soldier) had shaken his head, only to tell him in clear Galactic Common to “travel to Terra and find the Blue Lion”; he then unceremoniously shoved Shiro into the pod and remotely set it as well as several other decoys to launch.

The battered altean landed on Earth where a rather perplexed military and exploration organization picked him up, quarantined him without listening to a single word he had to say, and subdued him with some sort of drug. The next thing he knew he was waking up on a much softer surface than he remembered with three pairs of human eyes uncomfortably staring down at him. And _then_ the next thing they _all_ knew, they were blasting through open space in a blue, lion-shaped spaceship with the Galran Empire in hot pursuit, only to land on a remote planet housing a long-forgotten castle-ship with the remaining of the Altean monarchy sleeping within – a monarchy that was supposed to have been long dead.

All in all, it had been a rollercoaster of a day.

The four newly-minted Paladins - Green, Blue, Yellow, and Black, with the first three having obtained their Lions – were then dispatched on a mission to infiltrate the approaching Galran cruiser that had not only tracked them to their location (thanks Coran for the incorrect math) but also coincidentally contained the Red Lion, the last of the missing war machines and the final one needed to unlock the passage to the Black Lion. Allura had forewarned the four that the fifth Paladin she had scryed was seemingly on that cruiser as well - hopefully as a prisoner to be rescued, but possibly as a galra who had managed to bond with the Red Lion with the help of Haggar's dark magic.

They were told to expect anything as Shiro and Pidge infiltrated the ship in hopes of releasing the Red Lion from its containment to be picked up by Yellow. As Pidge rushed to find and release the prisoners, Shiro attempted to navigate the winding halls on his own in search of the Red Lion's hangar, only to run into a soldier and two sentries, the latter of which approached at his flank. He readied his energized prosthesis only to lower it ticks later in shock when the soldier disabled the sentries with two precise rounds from his sidearm.

“What the quiznack are you doing back here?!” The galra growled as he lowered his pistol, his purple visage contorting in frustration. Shiro didn't recognize the man's face, but he never would have forgotten that voice.

It was the galran soldier that had freed him from captivity.

“We found the Blue Lion,” the altean remarked, too stunned by the appearance of the man he thought he'd never see again to say more.

The soldier had smirked in response, holstering his weapon. “Yeah, I figured; it's been beating on the hull of the ship for the last twenty dobashes.”

Together they had taken off toward the Red Lion's hangar, Keith leading the way with ease. It had become clear soon enough that Keith was the one meant to pilot the red war machine – the sentient ship had been calling to him ever since he had been transferred to the cruiser - much to Allura's fury.

Keith Kogane had never felt strongly tied to the Empire, struggling to align himself to the atrocities he had witnessed the galra inflict on other lifeforms. It had always felt wrong but it had been difficult for him to break away when his superiors had been his guardians ever since his mother had disappeared on a mission to Terra in search of the Blue Lion. He had grown up hearing stories about how the alteans had ruined everything for the galra, what with them closing the life-giving rift by completely destroying their home planet, Daibazaal. Yet he had found his belief in the Empire further whittled when he by chance met Shiro, a kind soul who had tried to spare the other arena combatants as much pain as he could manage, who treated him with more respect than his galran peers did despite Keith being the assigned guard for Shiro's cell block. It was the primary reason why he sprang the altean fighter free as soon as an opportunity presented itself.

It had been a miracle that Keith hadn't been found out for his transgression.

Still, the great risk he had taken (twice) did little to improve Allura's opinion of him, the pain of the destruction the Empire had inflicted on her home and family running deep. It wasn't until learning that Keith had managed to save Shiro by flying the Black Lion when the two had been stranded after the battle with Zarkon that she began to truly trust the ex-soldier. The revelation that Keith's mom, Krolia, had stopped the Empire from getting their hands on the Blue Lion deca-phoebs back certainly helped as well. And Keith, after discovering that not only was his remaining parent still alive, but that she _hadn't_ abandoned him – only made a sacrifice for the sake of the universe – came to terms with himself on his own accord, finally understanding who he was and what he wanted to be.

Zarkon had called him a traitor during their battle. At the time it had filled him with violent guilt and shame; now he wore the term with pride like a badge of honor. Allura (and the rest of them, really) couldn't help but feel the same. Once Allura had finally come to understand that not all galra meant to hurt others, the deep-seeded anger that had stemmed from her pain like an infection from a bloody wound had finally begun to heal – her acceptance left her feeling more focused and comfortable in her role as a leader.

After Allura and Keith had reconciled, like a domino affect the other paladins found their place within the team. Lance's self-esteem had grown when his teammates had acknowledged his role as the “sharpshooter” of the squad, Pidge had found a lead on her family (thanks to Coran's analysis of the data she had recently collected) that had renewed her hope and commitment to the cause, and Hunk had uncovered a confidence within himself as he learned that despite the fear he felt on missions, he was more than capable of succeeding.

And Shiro, despite being haunted by the arena and the loss of everything he had once known, had not only formed friendships with the paladins he led and the princess and royal adviser of his people; he had also begun to find solace in the galran soldier that had saved him. They shared conversations late into the night, finding it remarkably easy to let themselves be vulnerable, air their grievances and worries, and build the strength to carry on.

It was a bit lonely, yes, but they each knew they were not alone.

They had found each other.

* * *

Free time was a rare commodity for the Voltron team, but thanks to Shiro bonding so strongly with the Black Lion that Zarkon's connection had been shattered, the delusional emperor and his witch couldn't track them anymore. It was certainly welcome relief to no longer have to fret about when the Empire would inevitably reappear, to worry about how much longer the scaltrite disks would hold up before the castle-ship became a sitting duck (as Hunk would say, following with an explanation to the alteans and galra what a duck was). The plan to build the giant teleduv to trap Zarkon's dreadnought was well underway and with each of the paladins having already completed their assigned parts, there wasn't much more they could do to help with the effort beyond staying out of the way of their busy allies. The team still spent time training both in their lions and in the training room, but considering they needed to stay close in case the Empire stumbled across their plan, that ruled out taking on any further missions for the time being.

Besides, let Zarkon think that they had run off to lick their wounds. He and his fleet wouldn't even know what hit them.

Until then however, the team could only train so much, leaving them with an abundance of free time they each hadn't seen since the Paladins first took to space. There was only so much that Shiro, Allura, and Coran could plan, that Hunk could cook, and that Pidge could tinker with until they each became bored. Even Keith got sick of being in the training room, much to everyone's astonishment.

Meanwhile, no one was watching what mischief Lance had been getting up into, so they shouldn't have been surprised when the brunette showed up to breakfast one morning with a large box of assorted items in hand, Hunk right behind him with a second equally-large container. The room was silent as each of his teammates blankly stared, before Shiro finally spoke.

"Sooooo-" he began.

"Decorations!" Came the Blue Paladin's cheerful reply, his grin wide. "I asked Pidge to estimate about what day it is back home, and it turns out Christmas is around the corner!"

"Well that explains _that_ question now," murmured Pidge, not looking up from her computer.

"Christmas?" Allura asked, curiosity piqued as she cocked her head slightly to the side. "What is that?"

Pidge adjusted her glasses. "Well it's a holiday celebrated on Earth to commemorate the birthday of -"

"Nope," Lance interrupted once more, rapidly shaking his head. "We're not giving them the boring answer." Pidge grumbled but only crossed her arms with a humph as the lankier teen placed the box of knick knacks on the table, Hunk following in suite. "Christmas is a time of deca-phoeb back home where people make sure to spend time with friends and family. Everyone celebrates it a little differently and there are a ton of different traditions but I’ll tell you the most common ones. Lots of people decorate their houses and sometimes even their businesses with lights and wreathes; sometimes you’ll see entire streets decked out in lights! Then you get a tree, either a real one or a fake one, and you put it in your house and decorate it with tinsel and ornaments and lights, too. When that’s done, you put a skirt on the bottom and place the gifts you’re going to give each other under the tree. Some people start the official celebration on Christmas Eve, even opening presents or having a big dinner feast; others wait until Christmas day. It’s probably the biggest holiday of the year for our country, and lots of people around the world celebrate it too!"

“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg too,” Hunk added with a smile. “There are a _lot_ more traditions that people follow, from hanging mistletoe to opening Christmas crackers to leaving out milk and cookies for Santa Claus.”

“Santa Claus?” Shiro question, as intrigued as his other altean and galran peers who were listening intently. “What’s that?”

“More like ‘who’s that?’” Pidge chimed in, closing her laptop. “It’s a myth parents tell their kids in order to get them to behave. Santa Claus is a man who supposedly lives in the far north of our planet spending the entire deca-phoeb making toys and keeping track of whether children are being good or bad. Good kids get toys; bad kids get a lump of coal.”

“That seems… harsh,” Allura muttered, her expression uncertain. “I could hardly believe a child to be so terrible as to not deserve at least some toys when others are receiving them.”

The Green Paladin shrugged. “It’s not a real thing. And besides, if you think that’s bad, you should hear about the Krampus.”

The three alteans looked at each other. “Krampus?” Coran curiously asked.

“A half-man, half-goat demon that drags bad children back to its lair and tortures them.”

“What!?” Allura cried, horrified. Both Shiro and Coran grimaced, but whether it was from the lore they had just learned or their princess's high-pitched squeal, it was hard to tell. Keith, leaning against one of the kitchen counters with his arms crossed, only frowned.

“Tell me about it,” commented Lance, grimacing. “My older sister Veronica got me to believe in him when I was younger, and that I'd been bad enough for the Krampus to come get me. I could hardly sleep for a week until Mom found out and made her admit to me that it wasn't real.”

“Sounds like something Matt would do,” Pidge shook her head in sympathy.

“Anyway, back to a topic that's _not_ about horrific monsters,” came Hunk's uneasy interjection as he began pulling various decorations out of the box, “not everyone celebrates Christmas, and some celebrate Christmas _and_ other holidays that happen around the same time! There's Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and Kwanzaa, which celebrates African heritage and culture (Africa is a continent on Earth). And Pidge, you're Jewish, right?”

She smirked. “And proud of it, too.”

“Check it out!” Hunk pulled out a small brass stand that had a flat bar of rounded metal carefully welded onto the top of it with nine small cup-like features attached in a neat little row.

“Are you kidding me?!” The petite teen cheered, carefully taking it from him with two hands when he offered it. “Where the heck did you find a menorah?”

The Yellow Paladin grinned. “Lance and I have been scrounging around trying to find odds and ends to use for decoration; it wasn't too hard to put it together. I know it's not the nicest, but Lance and I weren't sure if you celebrated Hanukkah, so just in case you did -”

“It's perfect,” Pidge resolutely confirmed.

Lance chuckled at the interchange before turning back to the others. “Hunk and I got to talking and we figured with us missing Earth and all, and everyone needing a break after the last few movements, it might be nice to celebrate. We were thinking we could share with you guys what the Christmas spirit is all about, and if you wanted, maybe you all might want to celebrate one of your own holidays, too.”

“It'll be like a big holiday bash!” Hunk joyfully added.

The four aliens shared contemplative glances with one another. “There isn't much else to do while we wait for the teleduv to be built,” Shiro noted, struggling to stifle a grin. He looked to Keith who merely shrugged, albeit the corner of his mouth ever-so-slightly lifted.

“I'd love for the chance to sprucen up the castle!” Coran exclaimed, turning to Allura. “And it's been a long time since we've done any sort of celebration, especially since the war began.”

“It's settled,” the princess said with a clap of her hands. “One last hurrah before we bring the fight to Zarkon. Let us proceed with a joint celebration of our respective holidays of our choosing for the end of this movement! That should give us enough time to collect the appropriate items and prepare adequately.”

The rest of the Paladins cheered.

* * *

After huddling for a few dobashes, Allura, Coran and Shiro had decided on celebrating Ilouvus, the altean holiday of remembrance. While not the most cheerful of celebrations, especially when compared to the Christmas holiday they had just recently been educated about, it was hardly a sullen affair; rather, participating alteans would spend a day sharing fond memories of those who had past, choosing to relish in the joy that family and friends had offered them and showing appreciation for what those lost in battle had sacrificed for. It was a time to be grateful for the people who had impacted their lives, and given all that had led up to this point it was certainly fitting.

Coran had been the one to explain to the non-alteans in the group about the traditions they would follow. Pink was the main color for the holiday, and so among helping the human Paladins collect more supplies for Christmas, Coran had also obtained various strings of magenta garland as well as balloon-like spheres that gently floated by. There were also certain types of attire that were typical to wear during the celebration and luckily the castle was equipped to generate such garments for each of them. Levas and quirnlem were a few of the dishes that were often served at the final meal of the day, and Hunk was more than eager to figure out how to make them alongside the space-equivalent of an apple pie and a baked ham.

The common area of the castle was chosen as the room to prepare for celebrating given that it was the place they all spent the most time in. Coran, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge had all taken a trip to the swap moon and had come back with several boxes of various odds and ends that could be of potential use. Immediately afterward they each got to work, Keith, Allura and Shiro joining them.

The princess was busy selecting some ancient Altean remembrance songs for them to sing, which only served to excite Lance further as he hastily told her about Christmas carols. They quickly moved to a corner of the room to pick out songs. Meanwhile, Coran had surprised the team with a cut tree-like plant. Although it looked nothing like a traditional fir tree (especially with the electric green bubble-like endings it had) it had more than enough branches to fit plenty of ornaments. Hunk and Pidge eagerly swarmed to decorating it with the glass bulbs each of the team members had painted the night before.

That left Keith and Shiro in charge of hanging up the various green, gold, red, and pink strings of garland they had. It felt a little silly wearing their Paladin armor so that they could reach the high parts of the walls and ceiling, but it certainly beat climbing and moving a ladder.

“Are you sure you don't want to join them with decorating the tree?” Shiro gently asked as he unrolled another strand. “I can handle hanging all of these up.”

The galra shrugged, looking down at the two humans and one altean practically dancing around the tree. He wasn't one to admit such things but it warmed his heart to see them so happy. “They seemed really excited to decorate it; the more of it they get to do, the better. Besides,” he turned away to attach another strand end to the wall, “I don't mind helping you.”

“Well, I'm certainly not going to complain that you're here,” the Black Paladin smiled in return. “Seems like you're always around to help me when I need it.” Keith was grateful he was facing away so that the altean wouldn't be able to see his cheeks darken at the comment.

“It – it's nothing,” he stammered in response. Shiro only smiled, the violet marks on his cheeks rising as the gesture touched his eyes. He landed back on the ground to pick through one of the boxes for supplies, Keith right behind him looking through a different box.

“If you say so. Anyway,” - Keith tried not to breathe a sigh of relief for the change of topic - “I noticed you're the only one of us who isn't getting to celebrate one of their holidays. You don't have to tell me, but I was wondering, why is that?”

The Red Paladin said nothing at first; Shiro only turned around when he heard the rustling behind him cease. The galran soldier had stopped fiddling through the box, his hands clutching the edge in his silence.

“Keith?”

“... No real reason,” came the murmured response. “Just didn't think anyone would want to celebrate a galran holiday.” He went back to rifling through the container of supplies, although it looked just to be a reason to busy his hands.

“Keith...” Shiro approached the sullen man, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. The galran tensed at the touch before relaxing, his movements slowing to a halt. “Of course we'd want to celebrate it if you wanted to. We may be at odds with the Empire, but the Empire doesn't represent all galra. You've shown us that.” Keith couldn't help but glance up at the taller man, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Shiro gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze, smiling softly. “Some day this war is going to be over and when it it and hopefully in our favor, it's going to be alteans, humans, galra and every other species out there standing side by side. You're going to be a part of it, all of your people are going to be a part of it.”

Frustrated, Keith turned toward his team leader, staring up with a furrowed brow. “How can you believe that? After what we did to you? What we're doing to the universe?” As he continued, he could no longer look Shiro in the eye, his gaze dropping and his hands clenching at his sides. “You saw how Allura reacted, and she's well within her right to have done so. Altea is gone because of us-”

“No, Keith,” Shiro firmly interrupted, his expression turning serious. “Altea is gone because of _Zarkon_ _._ Allura reacted to you the way she did because her grief was causing her to lash out, because when we're in pain, it's hard to determine or even acknowledge what the true source of it is, especially when that source is well out of reach. She just needed time, and you were more than acquiescing. She trusts you now, partly because of that, but also because she knows you're not to blame.”

At the relaxing of Keith's shoulders, Shiro pressed on earnestly. “You are as much a part of this team as anyone else; of course we would want to share in your culture's celebrations.”

“But we have nothing to celebrate.”

The toneless, matter-of-fact response shocked the altean, his hand slipping from the Red Paladin's shoulder. He had thought that the galra was as invested in their holiday planning as the others had been. Maybe not equally so, but still... “I – Keith, there's plenty to celebrate: freeing the Olkari, saving the balmera-”

Keith swiftly interrupted him with a shake of his head, finally looking up once more. “You misunderstand. _We_ -” he motioned to himself - “have nothing _worth_ celebrating. Our largest celebration? Draephal, the end of deca-phoeb holiday where we celebrate all of the battles we have won. It's a remembrance holiday for the fallen, but it's nothing like Ilouvus.” He scowled in vexation. “We remember those we've felled, those we've conquered, anything we've deemed to be a challenge overcome that demonstrates our strength, not with appreciation, but with derision, with this... this _sick_ superiority _._ And those of us who had fallen in battle that deca-phoeb? It's considered a transgression to speak of them at all; they're considered weak and thus not even worth remembering.”

The galra swallowed as he watched the Black Paladin's visage pale in dawning horror, but uncomfortable as he was to witness the understanding write itself on his friend's face, he pressed on. It was terrible, but Shiro deserved to hear it. He _needed_ to understand. “Shiro, in the Empire's fleet, they set up a tournament a few quintants before the day of celebration where they pit a selection of prisoners against one another until only the five deemed strongest remain. And then those five are matched against five of Zarkon's generals.” Frustrated, Keith gritted his teeth, his gaze far-off and remembering. “It's a blood bath. There's no real challenge. The Empire likes to pretend there is by feeding the combatants well and providing medical aid the movement before the fights begin, but that doesn't make up for all of the malnourishment and abuse they've been subjected to for phoebs beforehand. They're just prettied up right before they are sent to slaughter, just so the crowds can watch their so-called heroes battle in person.”

Keith hadn't realized he'd been crying until tears were dripping off of his cheeks. He had been forced to attend a few of the meets. It had been horrific to witness, yet decorum and peer pressure had kept him from looking away. Now, the shame and guilt he had felt at the arena had returned with such a brutal fervor that he couldn't maintain eye contact any longer as he admitted, “Shiro, they were going to make you one of the combatants.”

There was a sharp intake of breath and then silence for a few moments before Shiro quietly spoke, “So that's why you freed me when you did.”

The ex-soldier nodded before sighing, his evaporating anger leaving him drained, “You saw the audience at those fights; you saw how invested they are in them. I don't see a future where the galra will live side by side with the winners of this war. There's a reason our mantra is 'victory or death'.” He said nothing further, nervously waiting to see what his admissions had cost him.

Whatever it was Keith had been expecting, it certainly wasn't a firm hand gently lifting his chin, nor a soft thumb carefully wiping away the tears as its owner tenderly smiled down at him. “Keith, it's because of you I am alive today. I know what you did both times had been incredible risks for you to take, and I know I've said it before, but it truly means the galaxy to me that you took them for me anyway. And you can't be the only galra who doesn't believe in what the Empire stands for. With the millions of galra out there, there have to be others; your mother was one of them after all. They're just quieter, probably too afraid to stand up against Zarkon.”

Shiro let his hand slip from the Red Paladin's jaw to where his neck and shoulder connected, idly giving it a squeeze of comfort. “But Keith, _I know you_. You are strong enough; you'll be able to show them another way, to help them find their voice against Zarkon!”

“But I'm just one person!”

“Maybe,” grinned the altean. “But that one person made a world of difference to me.” Keith openly gaped at the comment; Shiro couldn't help but fondly notice that the other's cheeks were darkening with blush. He forcibly sobered himself knowing he needed to make sure his next words were said with a serious confidence so that Keith would have no doubt in his mind about the validity of them.

“Keith, I believe you can do it. I believe you are more than capable of changing the outcome of this war for the better - for alteans, human, and galra alike. I will never give up on you, but more importantly, you can't give up on your people. You can't give up on yourself. You can _do this_ _.”_

When it became apparent that the galra Paladin had been rendered speechless, Shiro wasted no time putting action behind his words. He carefully let his arms envelope the shoulders of the other man, gently pressing him into his chest, holding him close. After a brief moment, Keith sighed as he tentatively returned the hug, relaxing into Shiro's embrace.

“Shiro...” came the heartfelt, choked response. “Thank you...”

“I'll always be here for you,” he murmured into raven locks.

“I know.” Keith smiled into his shoulder; Shiro might not have seen it but this close he certainly felt it, the motion filling his heart. He gave the younger man one last squeeze before stepping away, letting the other slip from his arms.

“Alright then,” the Black Paladin took a brief glance around the room, noticing that the rest of the team suddenly all turned back to their tasks at once when he did so. Shiro smirked but said nothing as he returned to pulling more items out of the box, handing a few to Keith who gratefully accepted them (and the offered distraction) as he finished wiping his eyes. “So Draephal is out; are there any others we could do?”

The younger man shook his head. “Not really. The Empire thinks it's wasteful to spend time and resources on celebrations that could instead be spent on the war effort.” He handed a roll of adhesive to Shiro and then both took to the air with their jetpacks, working together to finish hanging up the remaining strands of garland.

“What about before the war started? From my talks with Coran, the galran people weren't always so war-minded.”

“My understanding is that they 'fell out of fashion' after the destruction of Daibazaal and Altea, to the point people would be ostracized and ridiculed if they practiced them. Plus it was so long ago that I think most people don't even remember them.” He paused a moment after pressing the adhesive-backed decoration to the ceiling, suddenly thoughtful. “Although...”

“Although?” Shiro prodded, hovering over to take another edge of a garland strand from his friend, taking small delight in Keith's blush at the gentle brush of Shiro's fingers against his own.

“Well, it's hard to recall... I was really young at the time; my father had still been alive back then.” Keith forced his shyness aside as he tried to share such a personal memory. “I don't remember much, just sitting at the table with my parents and making braided necklaces with beads. There was some incense burning that smelled like irisinal flowers, I think? And I just recall the house having lots of orange and purple about, like the table runner and such...” He shook his head, sighing. “I have no idea what that was, whether it was even a holiday or maybe just an old family tradition. Or maybe Mom or Dad just felt like making necklaces for one-another and teaching me how to do it. I only remember ever doing it that one time.”

The Paladin pair flew to another section of the ceiling and began to hang the last of the garlands. “Do you still remember how to make the necklaces?” Shiro asked, snapping off another piece of adhesive and handing it to Keith.

“Sure, braiding is a big part of our culture and that kind of skill never really leaves your muscle memory.”

“Would you be willing to teach us?”

“Ahhh, I mean...” Keith stuttered, fumbling with the garland end in his hand as he tried to attach it to the ceiling. “I could... Dunno if anyone would want to, though. And I don't know where we could find the beads for it...”

The Black Paladin smiled. “I think even just learning how to braid would be fun. I'm sure the others would agree.”

“Well,” Keith contemplated. “Okay. Sure. It's been a while since I've had the chance to do it. I just need to find enough cord for everyone.”

Shiro waved it off with a twinkle in his eye. “Don't worry about it; I'll handle getting what we need.”

“I mean,” the ex-soldier rubbed at the back of his neck, “if you're sure...”

“Trust me, I'm sure.”

“Hey slackers!” The pair swiveled in the air to see Lance calling at them from below.

Keith huffed in response. “Who are you calling 'slackers'? We've been working here!”

“No,” Lance grinned, his tone lighthearted and a bit mischievous. “You've been talking there. The rest of us have been done for a while. Come back down! Hunk's gonna show us how to make handmade candles for Pidge's menorah, and then we're going to practice some of the carols that Allura and I picked out.”

“I don't sing,” Keith grumbled, crossing his arms as he and Shiro landed.

“Well you do now, now come on!”

Nine misshapen candles and three barely-on-key songs later, Shiro couldn't stifle the grin on his face; it turned out that Keith had a lovely singing voice.

* * *

It wasn't rare that Number 1 would approach Coran asking for help with learning about various topics; the young altean had been cloistered on a small planet for so long that despite the castle's knowledge bank being horrifically outdated, it was far better than nothing. Still, it was a bit off the beaten path when the Paladin came to him with a request for articles on different Galran holidays and then a quintant later with a bizarre list of materials. One short and fervent explanation later, he and the Shiro were flying off to the space mall once more. Allura, who Coran had filled in on what was going on before departing, had quickly pulled Lance aside to let him know what the plan was, who in turned told Hunk, who shared it with Pidge.

Meanwhile, Keith was busy taking on twelve gladiator bots in the training room, none the wiser.

Per Lance's request (more like a demand, really), the team needed to retire early on “Christmas Eve” as per tradition – which confused Keith to no end, because if adults didn't believe in Santa Claus, then why was it necessary to go to bed so early if they didn't have to worry about a fictional man arriving to deliver presents?

Lance had joked it was for Pidge's sake since she was the kid of the group and also likely on the naughty list; it had earned him a stomp on the foot (for the kid comment, not the naughty comment; she agreed with the latter).

Still, the team had followed orders and each had headed to their rooms not long after the night cycle had begun. Despite being the only person in the group not celebrating one of their own holidays, Keith was admittedly excited to see what was to come the following morning. He'd spent so long stuck on a ship with no one else but fellow galra, he felt as if he had been missing out on what the universe had to offer. It was interesting to learn about other cultures, especially when they belonged to his friends. He felt like he was getting to know them on an entirely different level. As Keith finished washing up, he couldn't help but notice how his heart was racing ever so slightly. Despite the rocky introduction he had had with the rest of the team, they were quickly becoming like a second family to him.

Even Lance, not that Keith would ever tell him that.

A knock at his door surprised him; it wasn't common for anyone to come by his door whatsoever, let alone after lights out. He hastily threw on his red sleep shirt and loose gray sleep pants before heading to the door. Behind it stood Shiro with a handful of pink and white fabric under one arm and a opaque shopping bag in the other.

The galra couldn't help but blankly stare at him, eyes wide. “Uhhhhh...”

“Hi,” Shiro said cheerfully. If Keith didn't know any better the taller man sounded a bit nervous. “May I come in?”

“Oh! Yeah, sure.” Keith stepped away so that the other could enter, the door whooshing shut behind him.

“These are for you.” He handed the Red Paladin the stack of fabric. “It's your set of garments for celebrating Ilouvus tomorrow. Coran just finished them.” Keith carefully took the fine material from his friend, minding his claws so that he didn't accidentally tear the delicate fabric. He held it out at a distance to inspect it; it was a mostly-white low-collared tunic decorated with rose-pink geometric accents. It had been paired with magenta leggings that had built-in white boots. Somehow Keith just knew that Coran had gotten his measurements right (despite having never actually taken them); the altean adviser was a stickler for details when it came to fashion.

“Thank you,” Keith replied, not sure of what more to say, still reeling a bit from the fact that his team lead was actually in _his_ room, and that he had taken on this errand himself instead of letting Coran do it. He wondered why. “The material is really nice.”

Shiro nodded in agreement. “It's been a long time since I've seen proper Ilouvus dresswear. We didn't have the right materials back home to make them correctly, so the only way we got to see the real thing were through the hand-me-downs some folks had.”

Keith couldn't help but smile, picking up on the altean's fond tone. “You're pretty excited to celebrate tomorrow, aren't you.” It wasn't really a question.

“That obvious, huh?” Shiro sheepishly chuckled, rubbing the back of his undercut with his now-free hand. “It's just been a long time since I've gotten to do something like this. But I'm eager to see you wearing the vestments tomorrow as well.”

And Keith thought his heart had been racing before.

At the galra's wide-eyed expression, Shiro seemed to realize what he had just said and began to stumble over his words. “Ah – that is to say – I'm excited to share the holiday with you! That you'll get to partake in it and everything. It's a pleasant event after all.” Keith could only nod slowly, once more tongue-tied

The Black Paladin managed to finally shake his nervousness as he motioned to the bag in his hand. “...Anyway. That's not the only reason I'm here. I figured we could also do something with these.” He offered the bag to Keith who took it tentatively and peered inside. Within were more of the same decorations they had used throughout the week, but instead of the greens and reds and yellows and pinks, these were orange and purple.

Some of them looked exactly as they did in his memory with his parents.

Keith sharply looked up, speechless. “Shiro... what...”

“It's called Kaolyon,” came the knowing answer. “It's an ancient galran holiday dedicated to spending time with those who matter most to you. I had asked Coran to help me research what the holiday could have possibly been based on what you told me. Luckily, the castle is so old that it has records from long before the war started; apparently Kaolyon was a big deal.” The older man suddenly grimaced. “I hope it was okay that I asked him. I didn't think you told me that in strict confidence but I wasn't sure -” He was cut off with an “oof” as the young galra practically threw himself into Shiro's arms, clutching him tightly.

“Shiro... Thank you.” Keith wasn't crying but his voice was nonetheless heavy with emotion.

The altean couldn't help but fondly smile. “You're welcome. I figured we could quickly get your room decorated if we work together. I know you don't have as much in your room as the rest of us, so I thought it might be nice to put the decorations in here, as a way to keep your family close.”

Keith nodded, giving him a watery smile and a meek “okay” before the two began unpacking the bag. One varga later the room was now filled with color, some of the strands hanging across the bed like a curtain.

“It's perfect,” Keith grinned, stepping back to take in their swiftly-executed work. He turned to face his friend. “Thank you. For everything.”

Shiro smiled back. “Any time. It's late though, I should probably get back and let you sleep.”

Keith could barely offer a reluctant nod, not wanting the moment to end, but he knew he was being silly; it wasn't like he wouldn't see the altean in the morning. “Alright, good night. Sleep well.”

“You too.” With a press of his hand to the door panel, Shiro made to exit the room.

Except the door didn't open.

He tried it once, twice more, before turning to Keith, perplexed. “Uh, Keith...? Do you mind...?” Raising a dark brow, the younger man sauntered over to him, pressing his hand against the panel as well. The only response he received was a red flash. “What the hell?”

Shiro sighed in frustration, running a hand over his face. “Somehow I get the feeling that Lance is behind this.”

Keith growled and crossed his arms over his chest, annoyed. “You're probably right; he was so adamant about us not leaving our rooms tonight.” Shiro grumbled under his breath, Keith's pointed ears picking up something like “not part of the plan”. The latter just shook his head - no point in getting worked up over his teammate's antics. “Come on, you're more than welcome to sleep here tonight.” He motioned to his bed with a thumb over his shoulder. “There's more than enough room; I don't take up too much space.”

Blushing, it took everything in Shiro's power to calmly remind himself that galra often shared close quarters with people they deemed trustworthy. It wasn't necessarily the same as when _alteans_ gave the same offer. “Um, sure. I mean, if it's not too much of an inconvenience.”

The Red Paladin smirked in response. “It's not an inconvenience at all. You're stuck here, I'm not sleeping on the floor, and there's no way I'd make _you_ sleep on the floor either. I'm about ready for bed, but you can use the side bathroom to get ready if you need it.” Despite Shiro's bright red face, he managed to nod a response before exiting the room. Keith instead moved himself under the covers, patiently waiting until the Black Paladin returned. When the latter seemed reluctant to join him on the mattress, Keith gave a pat of encouragement on the space beside him on the bed. A bit more confident, Shiro carefully lowered himself on top of the covers.

“Come on, Shiro, you're gonna freeze if you don't use the blanket.” It took everything in Keith's power to keep the teasing edge out of his voice. The other man said nothing, only proceeding to follow orders as he maneuvered himself under the covers as well.

“There, that wasn't so bad, was it?” The galra taunted. He got a gentle shove in return.

“You're such a brat sometimes,” laughed Shiro as he turned to give him a look.

“What can I say?” Keith responded, his eyes going soft and fond. “You bring out the best in me.” The altean said nothing in response, only gaping like a fish as the mood suddenly switched from teasing to heartfelt. The younger man decided to do him a favor and save him from having to respond. “Good night, Shiro.”

“Good night,” came a somewhat squeaky reply.

Keith turned away just to hide his grin; after the altean seemed on a mission all quintant to fluster him, it was nice to get some just dessert in return.

* * *

Keith opened his eyes the next morning to find the spot beside him cold and empty. It saddened him a little, but he couldn't blame Shiro for leaving before he had woken up; he knew the older man was notorious for getting up early in the morning. With a languid stretch he got out of bed and collected the altean garments, heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Seventeen dobashes later he was adjusting the collar of his tunic as he wandered down the quiet hallway toward the common room. The shirt _did_ fit; he just never had his collar bones so exposed before; all of his armor and clothes back on base had been high-collared.

Whatever, at least it was comfortable.

Turning the corner, he approached the sliding door, wondering why it was so silent. Could he really have been the first person to arrive? Or second, if Shiro was up and about. He pressed his hand to the panel, the door quickly rushing open.

“SURPRISE!”

Keith nearly stumbled back with a cry of shock as he took in the room. Truthfully, it was a garish assortment of color; the mixture of the Christmas, Ilouvus, and Kaolyon decorations made it look like a flying garideon had stampeded into the room and threw up a rainbow all over the place.

He loved it.

Below the hanging decorations stood the rest of the Paladins, Allura and Coran, each of them smiling in their own adorned Ilouvus vestments. So used to seeing them in their common or Paladin clothes, the soft attire made them look homey in a way he couldn't have imagined. A few of them were holding a variety of different items.

“Shiro told us all about the galran Kaolyon holiday the other quintant!” exclaimed Lance in pure excitement. “We rushed to get the decorations up last night in time for today.”

“I've made some corcideas!” Hunk added, holding up a plate of what appeared to be small, orange pastries. “Apparently you've supposed to take them with a tea like-beverage while you make the jewelry. I've got the drink brewing as we speak!”

“Speaking of jewelry,” Pidge motioned with a grin to the boxes that she, Coran, and Allura were holding. “Coran and Shiro managed to find the beads necessary for making the necklaces and bracelets!”

“And Allura had uncovered some fine thread from her mother's sewing collection that we could use as cord!” supplied Coran, rolling his mustache in between his fingers.

Allura blushed. “It was no trouble at all. I thought the material would be nice; she always did use the softest of fabrics.”

Shiro only beamed fondly up at him. “Happy Kaolyon, Keith. 'May your friendships last as long as the stars themselves.'” Keith had heard those words long ago, the prayer having once fallen from his father's lips right before bed. He had forgotten that memory.

The Red Paladin said nothing. Couldn't, really, his throat suddenly feeling parched and constricted. He moved his lips as if to speak, but no words came out; the only thing that seemed to happen was the blurring of his sight thanks to the tears that threatened to fall.

Hunk noticed it first. “Awwwww guys we made him cry!” He carefully put down the plate of delights before jogging up the stairs and enveloping the sniffling galra in a hug. The others followed not far behind, each of them wrapping themselves as close to their purple peer as possible.

“You... you all did this for me,” Keith whispered, his tone wondrous and disbelieving.

“Of course, Keith,” Allura replied with a soft smile. “You deserve it.”

“You're one of us!” Pidge nudged at him.

“And despite being the team grump, you've been supportive of all of our holidays this week,” Lance joked with no ill intent.

Keith could only offer a weak chuckle. “Shut it, you.” Lance just laughed in response.

The group stepped back, giving the smaller man some air. The Blue Paladin turned to his friends. “Alright! Now that we're all here, it's time to get this Christ-ilou-lyon-ukkah party started!”

“Really?” Pidge drolled with a raised eyebrow. “ _That's_ the name you're going to go with?”

Lance shrugged. “It's too many syllables otherwise.”

“Fair.”

“Before we get too far,” interrupted Allura with a grin, “Coran and I have something for you all.”

The five Paladins turned to each other, confused as Allura motioned to Coran who was suddenly pulling a box out of a hidden compartment in the wall. She looked back at them, her expression playful. “You guys aren't the only ones who can plan a secret.” With a flurry of flamboyant hand gestures, Coran flipped the open box upside down onto the table, and then swiftly lifted it back up, a stack of smaller, wrapped boxes remaining. “Presents!” He cheered.

“Are you kidding me!”

“Nooooo way.”

“I think I love that woman even more,” Lance dreamily sighed; Keith only rolled his eyes in response as Shiro chuckled, shaking his head with his hands on his hips.

Allura motioned for them to come down to the tree, picking up each of the boxes and handing them to their respective owners. “I wanted to thank each of you for everything that you've done. Not just for the galaxy, but for me. I know these aren't ideal times, and that there have been moments where I have been difficult, so I just want you to each know how much Coran and I appreciate everything you do.”

“But we don't have anything for you,” Keith frowned even as he accepted the present.

The altean princess only offered a small laugh. “If I expected anything from you in return, then it would hardly be a gift, wouldn't it? Besides,” she smirked, “I wouldn't expect anyone on this castle to buy me something when I am the only one who has any sort of GAC to begin with.”

“I... well, okay that's fair. Thank you.” The rest of the Paladins offered their gratitude in turn as well.

“You're all most welcome. Now!” She clapped her hands together, keeping them pressed. “I am terribly excited to learn about this jewelry braiding! May we commence with that next?”

“Sure,” Keith nodded. He turned to the others. “Is that okay with you guys?” After receiving the chorus of excited affirmatives, he led the others to the seated area, collecting the boxes along the way.

“If I remember correctly,” he began, taking a band of cord in hand and watching the others do the same, “you're supposed to make the bracelet or necklace with the intent of giving it to someone, and you're supposed to keep them in your thoughts while you make it. That way when you give it to them, it's said to be imbued with your warm energy you felt for them which will keep them safe from dark feelings.

Now, you start with cutting off the desired length...”

* * *

Despite the event-filled day, it seemed to be over too quickly. They somehow managed to fit making several pieces of jewelry, singing a folder-full of Christmas and Ilouvus songs, lighting the final candle on the menorah, and eating a feast of food for lunch that carried on as leftovers for dinner, all into one quintant. Now, the ship had moved into its night cycle once more, with most of its inhabitants finally retiring to bed, the human Paladins the most exhausted of them all - according to them, it was due to some kind of 'food coma'.

Keith shook his head from where he stood by the edge of the stairs in the lounge. _And I thought I had it bad as a galra._

“You're still up?”

The Red Paladin calmly pivoted to see Shiro standing by the doorway, now back in his casual clothes. Although his voice had surprised the galra, he felt too relaxed to feel any unease. Not that it would have lasted with the culprit being Shiro and all. He shrugged. “Didn't want to sleep just yet.”

The altean approached him, standing side by side as he took in the room as well. The team had done a fairly good job of cleaning up the mess, but the various decorations and tree were still there. “I don't blame you; it's been an incredible day. I wouldn't want it to end either.” Looking up at the ceiling, he chuckled at the sight of the decorations that he and Keith had put up. “You know, I'm really not looking forward to taking all of that garland down.”

“I asked Allura if we could leave them up; she said yes,” came the peaceful reply. When Shiro looked down at him with curiosity, Keith shrugged. “It's... a nice reminder of the universe we're working toward: a free universe, one that includes the galra, too.”

That earned Keith a wondrous chuckle. “That really stuck with you, didn't it?”

“What can I say?” Keith grinned up at him, his arms crossed. “You've given me some good advice since the quintant I first met you.”

“That's what you said back on the planet we got stranded on,” replied Shiro, shaking his head fondly.

“And I'll keep saying it until you believe me.”

Shiro only hummed in response, choosing to instead look back up at the hanging decorations above. They stood side-by-side in a comfortable silence until a small “oh” left Shiro's lips.

“Hm?” Keith glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “What is it?”

“Oh, ah, nothing important, really,” the altean almost stuttered. “Just saw that someone had stuck some mistletoe up there.”

“Mistletoe?” Shiro nodded, and Keith followed the line of his pointing to the little fluff of green hanging far above their heads. “What's that?”

“Well, it's not real mistletoe, since it's an Earth plant – and a bad one too, since it's apparently parasitic and poisonous - but I had overheard Lance asking Coran about how to make something similar...”

“Shiro,” Keith stared at him blankly. “You're stalling.”

The Black Paladin swallowed, uncomfortably scratching a finger against his cheek. “It's, um....So it's an Earth tradition.”

“I figured.”

“Where, well, if two people are caught standing underneath it, they're... well, they're...”

Keith was tapping his foot now, exasperated. “Shiro, just say it.”

“They're supposed to kiss.”

The restless tapping ceased. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” The older man shook himself out of his embarrassed stupor, waving his hands. “Not that we have to, of course!”

“Oh,” came Keith's toneless, repeated response once more. He frowned. “So you don't want to.”

Shiro bashfully looked away, “well, I... I wouldn't be opposed to it.”

Firm but gently hands carefully grasped his jawline, turning him back to face the galra. Without a moment's notice, Keith's lips were suddenly on his own, the kiss chaste yet the pressure almost desperate. A few ticks later the Red Paladin pulled back, his cheeks darkened with blush, seemingly surprised at his own boldness. He gracelessly dropped his hands from the sides of Shiro's face; the latter mourned the loss of contact almost immediately.

“I...” Now it was Keith's turn to stutter. “Was... that okay?”

Shiro couldn't help but stare at him, his eyes full of surprise and wonder which softened into a tender, cherishing look as he took in the galran soldier practically shuffling in place due to nervousness.

In response he wistfully sighed before gently cupping his savior's face in his own hands. “It was perfect.” And then he lowered his lips to Keith's.

This time, Shiro took control, keeping the pace slow and caressing, easing the fire that seemed to be threatening to consume them both. He gently brushed Keith's hair back from his face, tucking it behind a pointed ear before running his fingertip along the side of it. The galra shivered, reluctantly pulling back, his clawed hands resting on the Black Paladin's chest. “Shiro...” He murmured, eyes glassy and a bit dazed.

“Keith...” Shiro returned in a breathy exhale. He closed his eyes, brow furrowing as he struggled to say the words he knew he had to get out. “This war... it's terrible. The thing's we've seen, the thing's we've suffered, the thing's we've had to do to survive. It's all so horrible that I sometimes can't believe it's even real.” He reopened his eyes, his expression determined, and being this close Keith could easily see the violet glow nestled within the altean's gray irises. “But if there's been a bright spot in all of this, if there was anything I could find myself being grateful for, it's that it brought me to you.”

Shiro pressed his forehead to the younger man's, heaving a sigh. “Thank you, for saving me.”

Keith's expression turned watery before he nuzzled back, a content smile touching his own eyes. “We saved each other.”

The two took solace in the silence of the room, relishing in the moment of calm. Then, Shiro stepped away, letting his hands trail down Keith's face, down his arms to clasp his hands. “Would you like to watch the stars from the observation deck with me? I don't want this quintant to be over just yet.”

Keith couldn't help the grin that unfolded. “Neither do I. Let's go.”

With that, the two Paladins exited the lounge hand in hand, leaving behind the memories of a festive and healing day and wandering off to create new ones. The moment was theirs to savor.

And so savor it, they did.

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, you just witnessed the first time I've ever actually put a kiss in a fic I wrote. When I say I like slow burn, I *mean* I like sloooooooooooow burn. Like "this thing is never gonna combust and they aren't ever going to get together because I'm a sucker for romantic tension" XD
> 
> I did my best, hopefully it scratched the itch for ya'all. Happy belated holidays!
> 
> Come help me support other content creators on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Omnidolor), or to chat about fandom or writing.


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